


Visitation Hours

by BunnyBob



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Amputation, Angst, Enemies to Friends, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-21 18:54:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14291247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyBob/pseuds/BunnyBob
Summary: Kree had lost her legs, and with it, her sense of pride. It didn’t help that her own family refused to visit her, and the future seems bleak as a Zora that cannot even swim or walk without assistance. She hopelessly feels that she is less than the strong knight that she used to be, not only physically, but emotionally, mentally, and just became a lesser Zora overall.No one could possibly understand what it feels like to lose everything. Or at least, that’s what she had thought before her former Knight Captain had offered to take her out for lunch.(A fanfic for Coma Baby by BanishedOne. This takes place after chapter 46, and it's assumed that Brivere has been regularly visiting Kree since chapter 40)





	Visitation Hours

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BanishedOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanishedOne/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Coma Baby](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10493943) by [BanishedOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanishedOne/pseuds/BanishedOne). 



> more in end notes about this fic and my thoughts on it!
> 
> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao. Also i belted it out like so fuckin quick after chapter 51

Kree had been hiding away in the depths of the Basilica for quite some time now, spending every moment of every day sitting in her dull recovery room. There were a multitude of factors that trapped the grey Zora in her predicament, none of which she liked at all.

For one thing, she was missing her legs from the knee down. Not only did this mean that she couldn't walk, but she couldn't even swim, and by Hylia's name, who had ever heard of a Zora that couldn't swim? Certainly not Kree, and she didn't dare go to the surface and show other Zoras such an aberration.

For another, where would she go? With the loss of her legs also came the loss of her position as a Knight of the Royal Order. And with those went her pride, her dignity, essentially the purpose of her very existence. While her father, the First Knight, never explicitly said anything about his thoughts on her condition, she could see the shame and disappointment in his distant eyes the first few times he visited her recovery room. Once when she had first arrived, once to renounce her of her knight position, once to briefly speak to her as a family member. Then after that, he never came again, similar to the rest of her family, despite her being here for over a few months.

So apparently, Kree wasn't the only one to lose something, if not _everything_. Her father also lost his daughter as well.

And so there she sat, day in and day out, numbly trying to keep herself from going insane due to the intense isolation. She read books, she shifted around in her chair, she tried to think of _anything_ but the extreme loneliness and boredom that was her only company.

Well, not exactly. There _were_ the healers or apostles that came every now and then, but they had so many patients that they never really had time to talk anyways. Besides, she had already healed quite well, and didn't need much treatment for her stumped legs anymore.

No, the only other company she had was a man she absolutely despised, who she pinned all the blame on for her misfortunes, albeit a bit unfairly.

But hey, company was company, even if it _was_ her insufferable former Knight Captain. He was the only own to show her such kindness when no one, not even her own family, would bother to. And with the time they spent together, she found that perhaps she had misjudged him since the first day she had ever met him.

Of course, Kree would never actually tell him that, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of even _thinking_ that she had warmed up to him in the slightest.

Kree's head jerked up at the sound of pattering footsteps, gradually becoming louder as they approached yet still soft all the same. She mused that her former Knight Captain was now her clock, as there was no way to ever tell what time it was in the recovery room that never changed. But everything about the golden knight was orderly and consistent; he came down to visit her at the exact same time every day with even his footsteps sounding similar as the ones from the day before.

"Greetings, Kree." Brivere said, gently pushing aside the fabric curtain that cut her off from the rest of the world as he entered into her hideaway.

With a huff, she curtly nodded. "Hello, Brivere."

When they had first started this rather strange visitation ritual, it was _definitely_ awkward. Not only had Kree mercilessly screamed blatant vitriol at him countless times, but the reserved golden knight was not exactly the casual, talkative type either.

Yet somehow, they still managed to come to a mutual, somewhat comfortable friendship. If they could even call it so, that was.

"What news do you have for me today?" Kree asked, trying not to let her excitement for _any_ form of interaction show. Usually the Knight Captain would just inform her of things happening around the domain, and while the information was rather bleak, it was better than nothing at all.

Today, however, would apparently be different. "Actually," Brivere began, a rare hint of hesitance in his breath, "I wish to ask if you would like to come to my house for lunch today."

When Kree just blankly stared back, the golden knight quickly tried to explain himself. "Of course, you do not have to." he said, glancing around the room. "I will not lie that my house is not in the best condition after the earthquake. However, I do believe that a change of scenery would benefit you."

Sighing, admittedly a bit angrily, Kree quickly shook her head. "Are you an imbecile?" she groaned, sliding a hand down her face. "Just how do you plan on getting me there?"

Brivere stared back at her in confusion. "I thought that I could just carry you such as when we went to the funeral and-!"

"You don't get it!" she cried, narrowing her eyes at him. "That was only for the sake of my fallen comrades and my best friend! I am _not_ humiliating myself just for the sake of a meal in the house of someone like _you_!"

"Humiliating?" the golden knight asked, shrugging off her hostility.

"Yes, are you deaf?!" she hissed. "I cannot... I cannot go out there looking like..."

A frustrated growl rumbled in her throat, unable to speak of the reality that she always tried to ignore. Instead, her arms sharply gestured at her stumped legs while her head turned away, unwilling to look at her own downfall.

Humming, Brivere nodded in understanding, his blank face not giving away any sense of annoyance or impatience from her frustration. "In that case, what if I bring you to my home very early in the morning, when there are not many people?" he suggested carefully, trying to word his thoughts in a way that she could not refuse. "You can sleep until lunch and then I will bring you back late at night, so that no one will see you."

Her mouth immediately snapped opened to dismiss such a ridiculous proposition, but the more that she thought about it, the more appealing it became. Kree's eyes darted around the room, a space where she had been decaying in for over a few months now, where she had memorized practically every square inch of her sterilized prison since she had nothing better to do.

When was the last time she had gotten fresh air? Or had a meal other than standard Basilica rations?

"...Fine." Kree mumbled, sinking into her seat. "But only because I'm sick of this place and desperate for a more stimulating environment."

A shadow of a smile twitched in the corners of Brivere's taut lips as he sat down opposite to her, satisfied. "I will come get you early next morning then. But for now, do you still wish to hear of the state of our domain?"

"Yeah, sure." the grey Zora sighed. After a moment of hesitation, she quickly glanced up at her former Knight Captain. "...thanks."

The golden knight didn't push further to ask what in particular she was grateful for, instead nodding before launching into a lengthy report of recent events and happenings going on inside of their beloved domain. And for nearly an hour, she carefully listened and held pleasant conversation with the Knight Captain, trying to hide her impatience for the next morning to just come already.

;

"Kree?" a familiar voice whispered, along with a clawed finger prodding her arm. "It is me, Brivere."

Groaning, Kree rolled over, blinking her bleary eyes to make out the silhouette of a familiar golden Zora. Although she couldn't possibly know what time it was, she definitely knew that it was an ungodly hour in the morning, seeing as how the whole recovery area of the Basilica was deadly silent and completely dark.

Save for, of course, the low voice of one obnoxious golden knight. "I do apologize Kree, but if you wish not to be seen by anyone, it is best if we leave now."

Kree grunted, fighting against the exhaustion that clouded her vision and made every bone in her body creak as she slowly sat up. The Knight Captain quickly cradled her smaller frame in his strong arms, easily lifting her up and turning to leave the room.

However, before both of them could disappear through the curtains, Kree tugged on one of his long forefins. "Grab the blanket and cover me with it."

"Why? I already assured you that there is little to no people roaming about."

“Idiot. There’s still a chance that _someone_ will see me. I’m _not_ leaving unless I am disguised.”

Although Kree wasn’t in the position to make demands, seeing as she was already in Brivere’s arms and _he_ was the one doing _her_ a favor, the Knight Captain sighed as he nodded, quickly snatching up the blanket on her bed and sloppily swaddling her with it. Eventually, all he could see were her golden eyes, which looked slightly satisfied, albeit a bit embarrassed.

“Shall we go then?” Brivere asked. The fabric cocoon in his arms shifted, and, assuming it was a head nod, the Knight Captain swiftly darted out of Kree’s recovery room.

The two of them quietly flew through the maze of room dividers, and despite the darkness of early morning, when even the sun hadn’t awakened yet, Brivere managed to navigate through it all without much mental effort. He quickly launched up the steps, then arrived at the large opening of the Basilica, where it welcomed in the vast waters of the Zora Domain.

Frowning, Brivere looked down at the grey Zora in his arms. “I am afraid that we will need to take the blanket off for now.” he urged softly. “It will not be comfortable if you are wrapped in it when it is soaking wet, and it will be harder to swim when it becomes heavy from the water.”

“I _said_ that I am not going out there without it.” she growled back, her voice slightly muffled by the blanket whose embrace she was trapped in.

“I have no intention of leaving it behind.” Brivere said patiently. “I was just going to suggest that we place it in the diving bell and pull it up when we are at the surface. There is no one around at the moment, and there will be no one up there either.”

Slightly embarrassed at her immediate dismissal of his suggestion, Kree nodded and began unbundling herself from the soft fabric. The golden knight gently set her on the ground before helping her take off the blanket. Once she was free from its warm grasp, Brivere quickly stuffed the blanket into the top of the diving bell, so that it wouldn’t get wet from the grate on the bottom of it.

The Knight Captain swiftly picked Kree back up and launched himself into the water, powerfully kicking his legs and skillfully arching his body to rocket them towards the surface. His broad chest and muscled arms made it easy to hold onto Kree as he swam, who was silently jealous that she couldn’t do such a simple activity that was practically a requirement for living in the Zora Domain, or for being a Zora at all.

Within a few minutes, the two of them burst out of the surface of the water, the Knight Captain gracefully landing on his feet and carefully placing the grey Zora onto the ground before turning to hoist the diving bell up by its heavy chain.

The feeling of fresh air rushing over her dull scales felt amazing, and she drank in every moment of it, getting drunk off of the open atmosphere paired with the night sky above slowly burning into morning as the sun approached over the horizon. However, she snapped out her stupor when she remembered exactly where she was.

“Shit.” she harshly whispered, jerking her head around in fear of a Zora citizen walking about at this ungodly hour. “Hurry up before someone sees me!”

Brivere only grunted in response, putting every muscle into pulling the metal chain connected to the diving bell that was still in the depths of the Basilica. Within no time at all, the metal bell surfaced, and he scrambled to pull the dry blanket out of it and rewrap it around Kree before taking her into his arms again.

“I am going to run to my place in order to minimize contact with anyone.” he explained in a low voice to her. “I live kind of far away from here, so you are welcome to sleep until we get there.”

Kree nodded, but she had no intention of sleeping. Instead, as the golden Zora sprinted through the winding streets of the Zora Domain, her eyes examined the buildings of the place she adored most in all of Hyrule. She had spent a majority of her life training and fighting to protect the Zora Domain, in love with its infrastructure and people, which she hadn’t seen in so long.

And yet, Kree bitterly mused that perhaps she would never see it again after today. At least, not in the same way. It wasn’t as if she could hide away in the Basilica forever, but even if she could, she was uncertain if she could tolerate being trapped under the surface for the rest of her life, wasting away in a dull recovery room until she completely decomposed in her chair from boredom.

But where else could she go, really? No one, not even her family, had really come to visit her after the first few days of her hospitalization. She doubted that they wanted her back home, and in the unlikely event that they did, the grey Zora was unsure if she could handle more of their pity or the way they averted their gaze the few times they were socially obligated to see her.

No, she would most likely be on her own for now on. Getting an isolated home in the Uppercity, trapped in her own space in fear of being seen by others, in fear of being seen as less than she used to be, unable to even leave her own dwelling without someone’s assistance…

“Kree?” Brivere asked gently, snapping her out of her downward spiral of pessimistic anxiety. “We are here.”

Slightly angry at herself for not enjoying the scenic view of the domain while she still had it, Kree nodded and shifted in order to get a better look at the Knight Captain’s house. To be quite frank, the grey Zora did not like what she saw.

She knew that the Knight Captain certainly didn’t have the best background, but she didn’t expect him to be living in such a low level abode this far away from anyone else, especially for someone of his position. Kree certainly wasn’t used to it as the daughter of the First Knight, thus meaning that she had her own luxurious home in a higher part of the Uppercity.

Or at least, she _used_ to.

However, she had heard that despite his richer salary, the Knight Captain continued to live in the same simple house that he had when he and his family did when they were still in poverty. It was quite confusing to everyone else, seeing as he and his younger brother were rumored to have found their own dead mother floating in their cistern after she had killed herself. But perhaps they stayed for that very reason, unable to leave the comfort of their mother even in death.

What didn’t help was that the house had also been hit by the earthquake a few months ago, the only part of it left intact being the outer walls and archway that led inside. However, even from this far away, in the darkness of early morning, she could see the ruins of the collapsed ceiling strewn about inside, as well as several large columns that appeared to have fallen over.

“I do apologize for the state of my home.” Brivere said quietly, making her look up at his blank face. Still, Kree could see a trace of sorrow hiding in the shadows of his expressionless mask. “Repairs have been difficult to achieve given the current state of our domain.”

Guilt ate away at the grey Zora for her initial judgement. She shook her head, reaching up to tug on one of the golden knight’s long forefins. “Don’t apologize.” Kree grumbled. “Anything beats wasting away in my room like usual. As long as the food is good, I’m fine.”

Brivere bobbed his head up and down as he ducked through the archway leading into his home, or at least, what was left of it. “I do not believe you have to worry about that.” he softly chuckled. “Despite our rations, I managed to get a little extra food for your visit today. Plus, my younger brother believes I am a rather good cook.”

A grateful smirk came across Kree’s face as she rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but he’s clearly biased.” she tittered. “I’ll be the judge of that when lunch comes.”

To her surprise, her teasing elicited a rare smile from the reserved knight, albeit only for a fleeting moment before he recovered back to his usual blank mask. “In that case, I accept your challenge.” he said, gently setting her down near a large wall of books with a blanket tucked in the center of it. “However, I suggest you rest until then. After all, I retrieved you rather early in the morning, and I must admit that I am tired as well.”

Kree nodded, but squinted her eyes as she focused on the blanket in the middle of the fortress of books. The golden knight didn’t notice her strange actions as he settled down into a nest of water cushions stacked in the corner, immediately falling asleep from exhaustion. Yet even in the weak, early morning light, Kree could make out a lump curled up underneath of the fabric that slightly rose up and down to a steady beat.

She didn’t even have to ask to know who it was. It was obviously Brivere’s younger brother, Estuu, who the golden knight was infamously known to be over protective of. Kree was so desperate to get out of her recovery room that she completely forgot the possibility of running into the younger Zora.

It wasn’t as if she completely despised Estuu, like she used to with his older brother, anyways. Kree honestly had never really met the younger Zora before, save for the few, rare moments they crossed paths when he was with his older brother. But even then, she never paid much attention to him, and he had a tendency to hide in his older brother’s shadow anyways. The most time she had spent with Estuu was when he joined their squadron as a healer, but his overprotective brother quickly put an end to that after numerous injuries and worrisome incidents.

However, the rumors and vitriol surrounding the young Zora were impossible to escape, similar to his infamous older brother. It was said that the young Zora was the result of infidelity on his mother’s part, and she had even killed herself over the social torment that followed his birth. His father, the nobleman Zambezi who was well known for his empire of alcohol, refused to acknowledge Estuu as his son. Yet the young Zora was given noble status anyways, purely because of the discovery that he was goddess-blooded with the same healing ability as the late Princess Mipha.

But it wasn’t only his convoluted parentage that was a problem. The few people who actually interacted with the younger Zora claimed that he was rather peculiar and “difficult” to handle, with odd habits and mannerisms that were strange for _any_ Zora to have. It was said that he didn’t speak either, and while that was also freakish, it at least meant that Kree wouldn’t have to hold any awkward conversation with him.

Besides, she was unsure if she could _ever_ be comfortable around the Zora that nearly killed Captain Betaal when he inexplicably shot her eye out with a bow and arrow.

Despite her apprehension, Kree managed to settle into her blanket and slowly give into the sleep that clouded her vision. She was _not_ going to waste her few moments of freedom and the rare change in her dull routine being ungrateful or worrying about unnecessary things.

No, she would enjoy her fleeting time outside of her dreary recovery room for as long as she could, because who _knows_ when she would ever get it again.

If it ever came at _all_ after today, that was.

;

When Kree awoke, she slowly opened her bleary eyes only for them to snap wide open in shock when all she saw was the open blue sky. Startled, she shot up into a sitting position, chest heaving in panic as she gained her bearings. However, when her eyes settled on the golden Zora sleeping in the corner of the room, she groaned and smacked herself in the face for her own idiocy.

Hylia dammit. Brivere had just brought her here for lunch. That was all.

Her hand slid down her face as she rubbed the exhaustion that refused to come off of it. She couldn’t be too harsh on herself, after all. For months, all she had done was wake up and sit in the same depressing, unstimulating room, only to go back to sleep after hours of doing nothing and repeating the cycle all over again the next morning. Of _course_ a sudden change in environment would give her a heart attack.

Kree glanced over at the small frame sleeping in the fortress of books next to her as she quickly repositioned the blanket to cover the lower half of her body. Although she couldn’t hide her missing lower legs forever, she would rather put off the reveal to Brivere’s younger brother as long as she could. Maybe she could even convince the golden Zora to let her eat on the floor, so that Estuu wouldn’t have to see it at all during her brief stay.

Although, Kree was uncertain if it was for the younger Zora’s sake or for her own.

After fluffing up and clumping the blanket at certain parts, to anyone else it would have appeared that she was just comfortably sitting underneath the soft fabric, perfectly intact, the exact same Zora that she was before the accident.

In fact, the illusion worked so well that for a moment, she convinced herself the very same thing. Or perhaps it was just desperate, wishful thinking on her end.

A small whine brought her out of her thoughts, forcing her to look at the source of it. Brivere’s younger brother was now awake, slowly rising from his grave of worn books as golden eyes peeked out of his blanket and stared unrelentingly at the unknown grey Zora in front of him.

“Uh, hi.” Kree grunted, awkwardly waving her hand. “Sorry, did I wake you up?”

The young Zora narrowed his eyes and emerged from his fabric cocoon, albeit only from the shoulder up. He continued to glare at her as he shifted into a sitting position, still allowing only his head to come out of the blanket. From the way he was tucked inside of his fortress of thick books, the scarlet Zora looked like a military official sizing up an approaching enemy.

Kree was a bit thrown off by his silence, only to remember that he couldn’t speak. “Err, you’re Estuu, right?” she asked. “You can just nod or shake your head.”

However, the younger Zora didn’t move, continuing to gaze at her with blank eyes. Perhaps she should have been annoyed, but instead, Kree’s eyes were drawn to the poor state of the young Zora. His scarlet scales seemed dull and didn’t have the usual sheen that most healthy kids his age had, and as she peered closer, Kree noticed that his forefins seemed to have bite and scratch wounds on them, along with a concerning amount of dried blood around his mouth.

The grey Zora frowned. Had her former Knight Captain not been taking care of his own younger brother? It made no sense, as Brivere was known for being ridiculously overprotective of his only living family member.

A growl abruptly rumbled in Estuu’s small chest. Kree looked up, only for him to avoid eye contact with her, making the grey Zora focus on the way his head tail slapped against his back in apprehension. One of his small feet stuck out of the blanket as he whined, quickly and repeatedly tapping his clawed toes against the floor of the ruined house.

“Estuu?” Brivere yelped, immediately jumping out of his slumber to dart over to the wall of books. “Are you alright?”

The younger Zora gave Kree a pointed look before tilting his head away, a discontented hum vibrating his small frame.

Brivere sighed in a mixture of relief and exasperation. “Estuu, I already told you yesterday that we would have a guest today.” he explained slowly. “Kree will be joining us for lunch. Do you not remember her? You both have met several times.”

Estuu slightly shook his head, his golden eyes darting over to Kree before looking away. Frustration boiled in her chest. Just because the younger Zora couldn’t talk, it didn’t mean that he could still be an asshole.

Brivere hesitantly glanced between the two Zora on the floor, uncertain of what to do. "Well..." he said slowly, "In that case, why don't you two try to get to know each other better while I prepare lunch?"

Kree looked up at the golden knight with a frown. "I'm sorry, but how am I supposed to communicate with him if he cannot speak?" she asked carefully, trying not to say anything that would offend either of the brothers or get her kicked out before she could actually do anything with her better situation.

"I assure you, he is full of surprises." Brivere tittered as he walked over to the kitchen area, clearly not intending to elaborate any further.

Sighing, Kree slumped her shoulders as she focused back on the scarlet Zora, who was still looking away from her. It wasn't as if she had anything better to do. "So, you are Estuu, right?" she said very slowly while gesturing at him, as if the younger Zora was just extremely stupid and couldn't comprehend even basic vocabulary. And as far as she knew, perhaps he couldn’t, and _that_ was why he couldn't speak and was being so hostile.

From the kitchen, she heard Brivere grunt. "I apologize, Kree, but please do not patronize him like that." he said in an unsettlingly steady voice. "Estuu is extremely intelligent. He has read and memorized all of the books that surround him."

The grey Zora's jaw dropped open as she gawked at the scarlet Zora before scanning the thick books that were neatly piled around him. Kree was impressed, as she wasn't much of an avid reader herself, focusing more on her physical training when she used to be a knight.

Her eyes trailed down to the blanket that covered the lower half of her body. _Used to_.

She looked back up, and upon closer inspection, it appeared that the younger Zora was squirming under her gaze, uncomfortably shifting around and sinking back into his blanket.

Kree quietly ran through the rumors that she had heard about the strange young Zora, and from her memories, she vaguely recalled that Estuu apparently hated eye contact or being stared at. She quickly snapped her eyes away from him just in case, instead focusing back on the wall of books surrounding him.

"So." she said, breaking the awkward silence between them. "Which is your favorite book?"

This was apparently the best way to get on Estuu’s good side, as he immediately perked up and nudged a book next to him over to her with his webbed foot. But when she reached out to pick it up, his foot immediately shot back into his blanket as if her fingers were deadly shock arrows.

Kree remembered also hearing about the young Zora’s aversion to touch, which was a peculiar trait for a healer, but whatever. There was no need to get touchy with a Zora she would only have to put up with for a few hours, if not less.

Picking up the book, Kree looked over the worn cover with the words _The Cursed Girl_ neatly printed on the front. Quite honestly, she wasn’t that sure what the popularity and hype around the book was for. “Oh, cool.” she mumbled anyways, not wanting to trample on a younger Zora’s interests. Quickly flipping through the book, her eyes glazed over the words printed on the old pages before snapping it shut and sliding it back over to the Zora huddled in his book fortress.

The two of them sat in awkward silence, occasionally glancing at the other, Kree unsure of what to say and Estuu unable to say anything at all. Was this really worth the effort to leave her recovery room?

The answer came in the form of the crisp air that felt amazing when she filled her lungs up to their capacity, or the sound of rushing water nearby, and the pleasant scent of whatever Brivere was preparing just a few feet away from her. _Yes, absolutely_.

“Oh, dear,” Brivere’s voice mumbled from the kitchen area, his footsteps growing louder as he approached the two Zora quietly sitting on the floor. Kree looked up to see the golden Zora with an uncharacteristically perturbed look on his face, his arms crossing while he pointedly stared at his younger brother.

“I am afraid that we are out of some of the food I had prepared.” Brivere said, an accusatory tone in his voice. “Estuu, do you know where it had went?”

Although only his head stuck out of the blanket, Estuu’s response was visible under the soft fabric as he nonchalantly shrugged. Sighing, Brivere turned to the grey Zora, a regretful gleam in his golden eyes. “I do apologize Kree, but I need to leave and find more food for our meal.” he explained. “My younger brother appears to have eaten most of the food I had gathered beforehand.”

The accusation elicited a whine from the scarlet Zora as he quickly shook his head, making Brivere roll his eyes. “Oh hush, I know it was you.” he tittered. However, despite the setback, a small, rare smile tugged at the corners of the golden Zora’s taut lips. “It is alright, Estuu, I am not mad. If anything, I am relieved to know that you are eating again. But I expect you to eat lunch with Kree and I as well, as it will definitely help your recovery.”

An embarrassed huff came from the young Zora as his head bobbed up and down. Kree slightly shifted to look over her shoulder, confused to see a standard basket of food rations that sat on the table behind her, as well as several other food items lined up on the shelf. It definitely wasn’t enough for casual living, and clearly showed that their domain was going through a food shortage, but they also weren’t out of food altogether either.

Brivere caught her gaze and cleared his throat to catch her attention. “I know it appears that there is an abundance of food, but I use some of that for trading. Estuu has a rather sensitive palette.” he explained, gesturing at his younger brother. “Also, I wanted to get something more special than our regular rations since you are our guest.”

“You don’t have to go through the trouble, but thanks anyways.” Kree said, rolling her eyes. “Also, it’s not good to spoil him, you know.”

A chuckle came from the golden Zora as he walked towards the table, picking up the basket before heading out of the archway. “It isn’t much trouble, and he won’t eat otherwise anyways.” Brivere called out from over his shoulder. “I promise to not be gone for long. Please watch over each other in the meantime.”

Huffing, Kree crossed her arms and pouted as the golden knight’s broad frame disappeared. Great, now she was on babysitting duty?

Both of them sat in tense silence, completely fed up with the other Zora at this point. Still, in an attempt to remain diplomatic, Kree tried to hold polite conversation. But neither of them had anything in common, nor knew anything about each other, save for the brief time they had served in the Zora military together.

“So, uh,” Kree began, awkwardly smiling at the scarlet Zora, “From our time together in the past, I observed that you are quite the talented healer! You must be proud of your ability.”

She was shocked when the scarlet Zora immediately recoiled at the compliment, narrowing his eyes and snarling back at her as he retreated deeper into his fortress of books.

A pettier, more jealous side of Kree surfaced, an irritated monster that she was unable to stop from seeing the light of day. “You shouldn’t be so ungrateful.” she sneered, glaring at the younger Zora. “Be thankful that you still have value and that you still have worth, unlike others who are not as fortunate!”

A growl came from Estuu as he ripped his blanket away, angrily waving his arms at Kree while gesturing to himself. She was about to shout back, but the words were caught in her throat and she nearly choked on them as she gawked at the scarlet Zora’s stump, his right arm completely missing from the elbow down.

Estuu caught onto her gaze and realized that his fury had revealed his shameful secret, and he quickly stuffed his arms back into the blanket in humiliation as he tried to turn away from her.

“Wait!” she cried out, instinctively reaching out to grab his arm in reassurance. However, her hand flinched and immediately retracted when Estuu recoiled, not only because of his aversion to touch, but because she had also nearly grabbed onto his stump by accident.

And she knew exactly what he was thinking. The incomplete arm. My incomplete self.

“Hey.” she cooed softly, encouraging the younger Zora to hesitantly look back at her. Kree gave him a small smile of reassurance. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be ashamed. I get it.”

An angry huff came from Estuu as he rolled his eyes, clearly unconvinced. Kree’s lips pursed as she glanced down at her blanket. From how she had arranged it earlier, it still looked like she had her legs, like nothing had ever happened, like she had not become less of what she used to be and lost everything that gave her value along with her legs that tragic night.

Grunting in frustration, Kree ripped the illusion away, forcing herself to come to terms with reality as she and Estuu stared at her leg stumps that had been hiding underneath the fabric the whole time.

Estuu’s eyes widened in realization, slowly looking up to hold eye contact with Kree for the first time since she had woken up here. A silent message passed between the two Zora, one of understanding, of empathy, of everything they needed but no one else could give. For the first time, it wasn’t someone else that claimed to give false sympathies, to apologize for them losing everything they loved, to remind them that they were less than they used to be.

They were just two injured Zora who simply didn’t have their respective limbs. And for the first time since their accidents, in each other’s presences, that was perfectly fine.

“I can’t swim or walk anymore without help.” Kree said, breaking the silence with words that hesitated on her trembling lips. She hadn’t been able to describe her condition in forever, as there was usually no need to. It was an unspoken reality, known by anyone and everyone who saw her severed legs.

But the words just wouldn’t stop spilling out of her mouth, begging for release, to stop silently killing her from the inside out. “Who has ever even heard of a Zora that cannot even swim?” she laughed bitterly. “And as a result, I lost my position as a knight. I lost the respect of my father, the First Knight, and my family hasn’t come to visit me in months. I used to work alongside your brother, if you remember, and he saved my life at the cost of my legs. But then what was the point? What is the point of living if all you are is a hollow shell of what you used to be?”

For the first time, the other person didn’t try and convince her otherwise with false encouragement, didn’t aim and make light of the situation, or even attempt to abrasively brush off her worries. Instead, Estuu nodded in solemn understanding, raising his stumped arm while gesturing at it with his only hand.

“…You lost your healing ability?” Kree asked quietly. Estuu nodded in response. She rolled this new discovery over in her mind, cross referencing it with what she knew of the young Zora and his role whenever he used his power to heal others. And then it dawned on her. “So this means that you also lost your value as the most powerful healer in our military?”

Bobbing his head up and down, Estuu rested his stump back at his side as his one hand pointed at the silver bow on the floor. Kree’s heart sank. “Of course.” she mumbled. “And your shooting ability as well.”

Although she didn’t know the full extent of Estuu’s love for archery, it was clear that he was at least extremely skilled at it. Just the incident with the Undercity captain was enough to prove that. So if he had just lost his healing ability, that would have been fine, because he could have at least become an archer or do it in his free time as he wished.

"I think we both know that we need to be realistic here." Kree said bitterly, her tongue dripping with sorrow. "What we used to have is _gone_. We _aren't_ who we used to be, and we never _can_ be again."

Frustration blossomed in the grey Zora’s chest at those thoughts, but then she remembered that where they had placed their value was in others who were so heartless that they had been abandoned the second they lost their limbs. She was angry at her so-called family for leaving her, she was angry at the goddess Hylia herself, at those who claimed to understand but _didn’t_ , who _couldn’t_ , at those who dared to look down on her, at everyone who had ever pitied her for what had happened.

"But I refuse to believe that I am any less than I was before!" she cried, slamming her fists onto the ground so hard that they immediately bruised. Estuu jumped at the sudden movement, but didn't rip his gaze away from the woman who was saying exactly what they both needed to hear.

"I..." she began, breaths labored and heavy, her golden eyes hardening as her clenched fists tightened even more, "I am still Kree! I may have been knight and I never can be again, but no matter what, I am still Kree! And I will _continue_ to be Kree as long as I am alive! I do not need some worthless title or ability as long as I continue fighting to live, because the Zora I am refuses to relent!"

The words her former Knight Captain had spoken to her when they went to the mass funeral, when he had taken her there when she couldn't go herself... they were finally beginning making sense. And even though that was a moment already lost to the past, all she could see were the flames licking the sky, and all she could hear was her dear friend's name called out, still echoing in her ears.

"...We all die eventually." she sniffled, unable to hold back the tears pricking the corners of her eyes at the mere thought of Ser Strata. "No matter your position, king of the domain or just a simple Undercity dweller... we all end up in the ashes. So I refuse to waste what little time I have left, for I am lucky that I am even alive when others have not been so fortunate."

A bitter laugh slipped out of her trembling lips. “I’m sorry that you have been forced to listen to my rambling.” she grunted, furiously wiping at her face before gazing at the young Zora in front of her. “I know what I have said makes no sense.”

Shaking his head, Estuu reached over and clumsily reached for his book, _The Cursed Girl_ , with his one hand, making Kree chuckle and push it towards him. “At least we have what the other doesn’t, so we can make up for each other’s pitfalls.” she tittered.

Although his face was just as blank as his older brother’s, a smile gleamed in Estuu’s golden eyes as he took the book into his only hand. He leaned it against his lap, quickly flipping through the pages before holding it up again just seconds later. Kree was stunned, gawking at the younger Zora as he pointed at a certain passage printed onto the worn pages. She hadn’t believed his older brother at first, but apparently the golden knight was right: Estuu really _had_ memorized the whole book.

Snapping out of her awe, Kree squinted her eyes, slowly reading each word and branding them into her mind. If the younger Zora thought that it was urgent enough to show her, then it was definitely important.

 _General Kita gazed at the crowd, clearing her throat in preparation of the speech that was vital to motivate them in their hopeless situation. “I am aware that we have lost much. Not only of ourselves, but those we love, what we once had both physical and emotional.” she began, her rough voice booming in the ears of the crowd that eagerly listened. “But that is all the more reason to fight. To truly live. In honor of what we have lost, to use their memory as fuel to gain more out of life than misery. Thus, I will use what little time I have left to not just survive, but to_ thrive. _And I encourage you all to do the same, no matter your status, no matter your position. For in the eyes of death, we are all equal.”_

Kree bit her trembling bottom lip, but nothing, not even the goddess herself, could stop the flood of tears that leaked out of her softened golden eyes and flowed down her face. “Your brother was correct.” she laughed, trying to hold back the sobs thrashing around in her chest to no avail. “You truly are full of surprises.”

However, she didn't know exactly who or _what_ she was crying for.

Was it for Ser Strata, her dear friend that couldn't be by her side anymore? Was it for her legs, lost as punishment for her pride and stubbornness? Was it for her family, who was mourning for the woman who was still alive? Was it for everything she had lost along with her legs, her position, her ability to swim, her mobility, her confidence?

Or was it for the person she used to be, knowing that she couldn't go back to them anymore, but not allowing herself to anchor herself in the past any longer?

Whatever the answer, Kree just knew that she wouldn't allow herself to waste away in the depths of the Basilica when there was a whole _world_ outside of her dull recovery room.

A sob ripped itself out of her chest, clawing its way out of her throat and screaming into the open air. Perhaps it was so desperate and harsh because it had been locked away for so long, suffocated under a sense of false pride, making up for lost time that she had wasted alone in her somber recover room.

But in that moment she _wasn’t_ alone, and not just in the physical sense either. Kree knew that the scarlet Zora hiding in his fortress of books was suffering in the same way that she was. It was evident from the tears that silently trailed down his own face as his smaller frame shuddered, curling into himself underneath the soft blanket that shielded the young Zora from the rest of the world.

And together, they both openly wept for the first time in forever, absolutely unashamed in front of the only other Zora that could understand them completely.

;

Brivere was leaning against the wall outside of his house, the only thing left intact of the small structure after the earthquake months ago. An empty basket was clutched in his hands as he listened to the two Zora he had left behind wail and sob inside of the graveyard of his old home, not wanting to interrupt the release of emotions both of them so desperately needed.

He had been waiting out here ever since he had claimed that he needed to retrieve more food. The Knight Captain was a careful and prudent man, always thinking far ahead of things, planning out each moment as if writing the future for himself. Estuu’s snacking was no surprise to him, and he had already stocked up food for Kree’s visit beforehand.

Brivere had left because he wanted them to bond over their shared loss, but admittedly, it was hard to stand aside when his former knight and his younger brother began to argue. Still, the Knight Captain remained ever resolute, knowing that they would reach a middle ground eventually.

And when they did, Brivere was relieved. Ever since the earthquake, the golden knight was upset that he couldn’t quite connect with his younger brother over Estuu’s injury, making it difficult for the scarlet Zora to recover from the pit of self-deprecation that he had buried himself in. So Brivere continued to lean against the stone wall, waiting for Estuu and Kree to fully get their emotions out before he entered. Both of them deserved such privacy in a situation that he could _never_ understand.

Eventually, the sniffles and hiccups subsided, gradually melting into complete silence. However, it had taken so long that the sun was already setting, allowing the moon to take its place. Peeking around the corner, Brivere saw the two Zora on the floor grin at each other as they furiously wiped at their faces, straightening up their posture in order to maintain their composure.

When they looked exactly like how he had left them, the golden knight quickly strolled through the archway. “I apologize,” he said, quickly setting down the empty basket before walking over to them. “It was harder than I expected to find and trade for the right ingredients for lunch.”

Kree rolled her eyes. “Lunch?! It’s practically dinner now!” she cried, her lips unable to suppress the smile that twitched on her face. “I _told_ you that it was too much trouble. Did you forget that we are in the middle of a food crisis?”

“I apologize, you two.” Brivere chuckled, making his way back to the kitchen. “I promise that dinner will be done soon, to make up for lost time.”

As he quickly prepared and cooked the food that had been there the whole time, Brivere’s eyes frequently glanced up to check on the two Zora on the floor, a rare smile stretching across his face in satisfaction of what he saw.

It was extremely rare for Estuu to open up to someone, especially upon the first meeting, but the younger Zora had already pulled out his favorite books, each of them cracked open and carefully laid onto the ground as he excitedly gestured at his favorite passages. And it was extremely rare for Kree to actually like anyone related to Brivere in any way, but the grey Zora was examining each page, genuinely interested in what Estuu loved. And during this, they held conversation, although Kree was the only one talking. However, it appeared that she was catching onto Estuu’s silent way of responding, which most people usually never bothered to understand.

The interaction was so wholesome that Brivere felt bad when he had to end it. “Kree, Estuu, dinner is ready.” he called out, wiping his hands on a towel. “Would you like to eat where you are or would you like me to help you come over here?”

The two Zora on the floor glanced at each other before focusing back on Brivere. “Stay there, we are coming over to you.” Kree grunted, rolling over to get onto her elbows and stumps. Instinctively, the overprotective golden Zora moved over to her like a mother wanting to help their child.

But a glare from Kree froze him in place. “Are you deaf?” she sneered. “I said we are coming over to you.”

Brivere held his hands up in defeat. “I apologize.” he said, slowly sitting down at the table. “But do hurry so that the food doesn’t get cold.”

Of course, the golden knight was just teasing them, but the two Zora on the floor rolled their eyes anyways. They knew that Brivere was patient and would allow them to come over at their own pace. Estuu swiftly got onto his feet, picking up his silver bow with his only hand and holding it out to the grey Zora still on the ground. Kree gratefully nodded before quickly grasping onto the bow, continuing to hold onto it as she balanced on her stumps. Slowly, both of them advanced towards the table, leaning on each other through the bow for support.

Victory flooded through their veins as they hopped into their chairs, Kree needing to hoist herself into it with her arms that were weaker from months of disuse and Estuu using his stump to steady himself. Brivere inwardly beamed at the two Zora as all three of them quickly shoved food into their hungry bodies. Of course, he didn’t allow a patronizing smile to show or attempt to baby them with praise over such a small task, but he was still proud of them nonetheless.

Brivere quietly let them eat a majority of the food, knowing that they needed it more than he did. Still, the three of them quickly finished the meal, leaning back in their chairs in satisfaction. “So, Kree,” Brivere said, breaking the comfortable silence that had overcome them. “Should I take you back now? Or would you like to go late at night, so that no one will see you?”

Kree snapped out of her food-induced daze, looking back at the golden knight with hesitant eyes. “Actually…” she said quietly, fiddling with her hands under the table, “If it is not too much trouble, may I stay overnight?”

“Of course, Kree. It would be no bother at all.” Brivere replied, allowing a small, genuine smile slip onto his face to reassure the grey Zora.

Bobbing her head up and down, Kree looked away and picked at the empty plate in front of her with her claws. “…thanks.”

The three of them quietly sat at the table, wanting nothing more than to fall sleep in their chairs after such a good meal that none of them had had in quite a while. Still, Brivere ushered them back over to the fort of books on the other side of the house, and the grey Zora was so tired that she allowed him to pick her up and make the process much easier. Estuu tucked himself back into his blanket, nestling into the wall of books that surrounded him while Kree grabbed her own blanket and settled down right next to him.

In the faint moonlight, Brivere gazed at the two Zora on the floor who were sound asleep for the first time in who knows how long. He couldn't speak for Kree, but if she was anything like Estuu, then she would have had difficulty sleeping these past few months as well, kept up late by mentally torturing herself and silently beating herself up until her body passed out from exhaustion.

Admittedly, he felt a bit bad for taking advantage of her desperate state. Of course, he fully intended to give her a change of pace, mostly out of pity for the grey Zora that was trapped in her dull recovery room for months on end. And apparently, he had been the only one to visit her regularly, showing her kindness when even her own family didn't bother to do so.

Yet he couldn't deny that the main reason he had brought her here in the first place was so that Estuu wouldn't feel so alone or hopeless in his situation. But as he gazed at Kree, who was curled up next to his younger brother, both of them close enough for comfort but not enough to touch...

Brivere was happy that she had at least taken the same lesson away from the experience as well.

**Author's Note:**

> sooooooo i REALLY fuckin love the idea of enemies to friends, or two people who are super fuckin irritated at each other but find some middle ground.  
> I think that the brothers deserve friends, cause all they've had is each other for so long, but it's also healthy to expand.  
> That's why I gave brivere an unexpected best friend in TTTLE, so I thought that i should be fair and give one to Estuu as well.  
> Kree may be an asshole but i think she deserves a pal too lmao  
> Sorry if the philosophy here is weird, I myself am not an amputee but I wrote this based off of what a friend of mine told me it was like (she was an artist that lost her left arm in a car accident, and she was left handed to draw). I also wrote it based off of the philosophy and reassurance Brivere tells both Kree and Estuu in their respective chapters.


End file.
